𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐘 || A Narnian Autumn Writing Challenge (Oneshot Book)

14. Anything, Everything

england // september 17, 1949
prompt: "chilly"
word count: 2,601

xXx

Lucy's knee bounced restlessly on the edge of the platform bench as her shoulders tensed against the nip of an unusually chilly September breeze. "How much longer?"

The Professor pulled out his timepiece. "Six minutes and change, it would seem."

"Two minutes later than the last time you asked," said Eustace flatly, and earned himself an elbow to the ribs from Jill. "What?"

"You needn't snip."

"I wasn't snipping! It's two minutes later than the last time she asked!"

Lucy laughed. "It's alright, I am getting a little restless. I think I'll take a walk around, if it's all the same to everyone else."

Jill shrugged, tucking one stockinged leg over the other and crossing her arms under her knitted school jumper, short brown hair fluttering around her heart-shaped face. "I don't see why we should mind."

Lucy stood and glanced briefly to the others—Aunt Polly with her pale, silvery yellow hair tied up smartly with a black ribbon, leaning in to say something to the Professor with her hand on his tweed knee, Eustace resting comfortably with his arm over the back of the bench, collar untucked and tie missing altogether from the school uniform he'd only half assembled—none seeming to pay any mind to the chill in the air as she wandered aimlessly away along the edge of the platform.

The quaint little country station was the nearest to Aunt Polly's house, where they'd all spent the last week together in a state near bliss, and Lucy would have enjoyed the view over fluttering green-leafed trees and sprawling sunbathed fields, too, if only she weren't so shivery.

It wasn't even all that cold, but the first hint of a chill after blazing summer weather always did seem to trick her sensitive body. That or something else had sent every nerve jittering of its own accord.

A little gust ruffled her skirt and bit through her thin sleeves as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're not nervous, are you?"

She spun to find Eustace behind her, pale hair fluttering loose around his ears, almost long enough now to touch his jawline in a distinctly Narnian style that often garnered odd glances from strangers, though he never seemed to mind.

"Of course not," she nearly scoffed in surprise. "It's just a little cold, that's all."

Eustace raised an already arched eyebrow and glanced around the sunny countryside station, as if in search of some winter stormfront he'd somehow missed between the cheery boardwalk and the bright blue cloud-dotted sky. "Cold?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Alright, maybe not cold, but it's windier than I expected, and I didn't come packed for school like some people."

Eustace glanced down to his light school jacket before shooting her an incredulous look, and reaching out to snatch her hand out from under her arm, her fingers frigid to his strong, warm grasp.

"Lu!" he almost laughed, taking her other hand and shoving them both into his own jacket pockets.

She giggled. "Oh, you're warm."

"You're ridiculous."

"If I'm ridiculous, what do you call vanishing away with magical rings into another world after a ghost?"

Eustace glanced sharply around the quiet platform, though no one else seemed to have heard her, only a few scattered families occupying the brightly painted benches along the station walls. "Well, when you put it that way—"